Arrested Muslim boy, 8, gets bail a week after India violence

Authorities in Bihar state come underneath extreme criticism for arresting the boy after clashes broke out throughout a Hindu spiritual occasion.

Police additionally recorded the boy's age as 13, although his household rejected the declare [File: Santosh Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images]

Authorities in India’s jap state of Bihar have been criticised for arresting an eight-year-old Muslim boy accused of rioting after clashes broke out throughout a Hindu spiritual occasion.

The boy, a resident of Barharia village in Bihar’s Siwan district, was granted bail by an area courtroom on Wednesday, almost every week after he was arrested.

His household advised Al Jazeera he had gone for afternoon prayers on September 8 along with his 70-year-old grandfather when violence erupted throughout a procession to mark the annual Hindu pageant of Mahavir Akhara.

“We don’t know what occurred close to the mosque. We later heard there have been some clashes throughout a Hindu rally and Muslims have been randomly arrested on the mosque,” Shama Parveen, the boy’s cousin, advised Al Jazeera. The boy’s grandfather was granted bail on Tuesday.

Barharia residents say the clashes on September 8 began after dozens of saffron-clad males carrying sticks and iron rods gathered exterior an area mosque and chanted Islamophobic slogans.

“As an alternative of catching the rioters, the police are focusing on Muslim kids. The police personnel needs to be given strict punishment and the relations of the kid ought to get compensation,” Muslim parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted.

The realm’s Hindus allege the clashes started after their rally was pelted with stones by the Muslims.

“Muslims first stopped the rally saying they have been praying. We stopped and later they threw stones from the highest of the mosque,” Rajan Kumar Singh, a member of the far-right Hindu group, Bajrang Dal, advised Al Jazeera.

Praveen Prabhakar, a police officer in Barharia, advised Al Jazeera police arrested folks from each communities over the clashes.

“The procession (Hindu rally) was pelted with stones and if folks had any downside, they need to strategy the administration. We suspect the incident occurred in a deliberate means. In (the boy’s) case, his video of stone-pelting got here to us,” he mentioned.

Police say greater than two dozen folks, together with 10 Hindus, have been booked for rioting, tried homicide and disturbing a non secular meeting. Practically 20 folks have been arrested up to now, they mentioned.

Police additionally recorded the boy’s age as 13, although his household rejected the declare. His beginning certificates accessed by Al Jazeera additionally confirmed he was eight.

The Indian Penal Code says the acts of a kid – outlined as being between seven and 12 – can't be thought-about offences till the kid has “attained ample maturity of understanding to evaluate the character and penalties of his conduct”, Indian information web site Scroll.in mentioned.

Shama advised Al Jazeera the household has been in shock and helpless for the reason that boy’s arrest. “We have been shocked. How might an eight yr outdated be accused of a criminal offense that he didn't commit?” she requested.

She mentioned they discovered the boy’s fingers have been “tied like a felony” once they visited him in police custody. “He cried and wished to go dwelling, however we have been helpless.” She additionally alleged the boy was imprisoned with adults in violation of the regulation and was shifted to a juvenile dwelling solely two days later.

Muslims in India comprise almost 14 % of its 1.35 billion inhabitants. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) got here to energy in 2014, the neighborhood has witnessed an escalation in hate speech and violence by right-wing Hindu teams who wish to flip a constitutionally secular India into an ethnic Hindu state.

Dozens of Muslim activists, journalists and even college students have been arrested underneath stringent legal guidelines and are languishing in jails, many with out trial.

Khaja Aijazuddin, a lawyer based mostly within the southern Telangana state, advised Al Jazeera the arrest of the boy is a case of violation of the rights and “bias in direction of the minority Muslims”.

“It was not even an arrest however unlawful detention. The Juvenile Justice Act was not adopted within the case of this eight-year-old boy. The regulation enforcement authorities are usually not working in keeping with the regulation, they're working for political executives,” he mentioned.

Sartaj Alam contributed to this report from India’s Jharkhand state.